James Harden flipped the switch in Game 4 to help pull the Sixers even with the Celtics, and the entire Suns’ offense did the same to tie its series 2-2 with the Nuggets. Now, Philadelphia and Phoenix are looking to take the highly critical Game 5 tonight, May 9, and put themselves in the driver’s seat to steal the series.
Despite outstanding performances from both teams’ stars, the pressure is on them to maintain their level of play for at least two more games. Which star will come through is to be determined, but we’ve scoured the best online sportsbooks and have put together some of the Best NBA Player Prop Bets for tonight’s matchups.
Best NBA Player Prop Bets for May 9
The last couple of games in both series have been tightly contested. If that continues, the 76ers’ and Suns’ defensive performances in crunch time set them up nicely to win the series moving forward. Whether or not the games are close depends on the performances of a few players in both series.
Philadelphia 76ers at Boston Celtics, 7:30 p.m. ET (TNT) — Series tied 2-2
James Harden to Score Over 25 Points (+180 on FanDuel Sportsbook)
The Jekyll and Hyde moniker encapsulates Harden’s performances in this series to date perfectly. He followed his 45-point performance in Game 1 with back-to-back games that were arguably the worst of his playoff career before exploding again in Game 4. However, it appears the Sixers are requiring Harden to be more aggressive. The offense is now flowing through the once-perennial scoring champion’s hands as opposed to Joel Embiid, allowing him to find his rhythm.
Harden’s success has a direct impact on Philadelphia’s ability to win in this series. With the writing on the wall, the Sixers are turning to Harden to keep their hopes alive. He is averaging 26 shots in wins, and in losses, he is averaging 14 shots. Look for him to be more aggressive in the pivotal Game 5 and attempt closer 26 shots than 14. As we’ve now seen, when he is aggressive, he is hard to stop.
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Phoenix Suns at Denver Nuggets, 10 p.m. ET (TNT) — Series tied 2-2
Devin Booker to Score Over 35 Points (+130 on DraftKings Sportsbook)
Devin Booker is on a historic playoff-scoring stretch. In the conference semifinals, he is shooting 63% and averaging 36 points on 22 shots per game. Suns’ head coach Monty Williams recently went to his bench to give more of the team’s shooting threats some playing time. Landry Shamet, T.J. Warren, and Terrence Ross all saw valuable minutes in the last two games.
Their presence made it even more challenging for the Nuggets to zero in on Kevin Durant and Booker. With the floor now wide open and Booker’s immense green light, the only person who can stop Booker right now is Booker. If you need more convincing, in Booker’s last eight playoff games, he has scored 38, 45, 30, 47, 27, 35, 47, and 36 points.
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Kevin Durant to Score Over 30.5 Points (-130 on BetMGM Sportsbook)
Like Booker, Durant has also benefited from the improved floor spacing Williams generated for the team with the lineup changes. He exceeded the 35-point mark in the last two games and has been far more aggressive, getting to the free-throw line 16 times in Game 3 and 13 times in Game 4. With the pressure now squarely on the Nugget’s shoulders to win at home and avoid relinquishing a 2-0 lead, look for Durant to leave his imprint on the game.
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Article contributed by David Fletcher
